If only had I known it! / If only I had known it!
Could you help me, please?
A question for the native speakers (desired) of British English or American English.
Which variant is correct and why? Or it's possible to use either of them)?
If only had I known it!
If only I had known it!
grammar usage syntactic-analysis sentence inversion
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
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Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |
Could you help me, please?
A question for the native speakers (desired) of British English or American English.
Which variant is correct and why? Or it's possible to use either of them)?
If only had I known it!
If only I had known it!
grammar usage syntactic-analysis sentence inversion
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
New contributor
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
The second one is correct; the first one isn't, because subject-auxiliary inversion (had I instead of I had) is not allowed here. It needs something specific in the context -- a fronted adverb, for instance -- in order to happen, and there's none here.
– John Lawler
2 days ago
1
John, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
Could you help me, please?
A question for the native speakers (desired) of British English or American English.
Which variant is correct and why? Or it's possible to use either of them)?
If only had I known it!
If only I had known it!
grammar usage syntactic-analysis sentence inversion
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
New contributor
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Could you help me, please?
A question for the native speakers (desired) of British English or American English.
Which variant is correct and why? Or it's possible to use either of them)?
If only had I known it!
If only I had known it!
grammar usage syntactic-analysis sentence inversion
grammar usage syntactic-analysis sentence inversion
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
New contributor
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
New contributor
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 2 days ago
Josh
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
New contributor
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
asked 2 days ago
JoshJosh
61
61
New contributor
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Josh is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
The second one is correct; the first one isn't, because subject-auxiliary inversion (had I instead of I had) is not allowed here. It needs something specific in the context -- a fronted adverb, for instance -- in order to happen, and there's none here.
– John Lawler
2 days ago
1
John, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
1
The second one is correct; the first one isn't, because subject-auxiliary inversion (had I instead of I had) is not allowed here. It needs something specific in the context -- a fronted adverb, for instance -- in order to happen, and there's none here.
– John Lawler
2 days ago
1
John, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
1
1
The second one is correct; the first one isn't, because subject-auxiliary inversion (had I instead of I had) is not allowed here. It needs something specific in the context -- a fronted adverb, for instance -- in order to happen, and there's none here.
– John Lawler
2 days ago
The second one is correct; the first one isn't, because subject-auxiliary inversion (had I instead of I had) is not allowed here. It needs something specific in the context -- a fronted adverb, for instance -- in order to happen, and there's none here.
– John Lawler
2 days ago
1
1
John, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
John, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
In the US I most frequently hear "If only I had known"; when I was home in Britain I also heard a variant construction: "Had I but known" which I've almost never heard here in the US.
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
Gerald, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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active
oldest
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votes
active
oldest
votes
In the US I most frequently hear "If only I had known"; when I was home in Britain I also heard a variant construction: "Had I but known" which I've almost never heard here in the US.
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
Gerald, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
In the US I most frequently hear "If only I had known"; when I was home in Britain I also heard a variant construction: "Had I but known" which I've almost never heard here in the US.
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
Gerald, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
In the US I most frequently hear "If only I had known"; when I was home in Britain I also heard a variant construction: "Had I but known" which I've almost never heard here in the US.
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
In the US I most frequently hear "If only I had known"; when I was home in Britain I also heard a variant construction: "Had I but known" which I've almost never heard here in the US.
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
answered 2 days ago
GerardFallaGerardFalla
849111
849111
Gerald, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
Gerald, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
Gerald, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
Gerald, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago
add a comment |
Josh is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Josh is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Josh is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Josh is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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1
The second one is correct; the first one isn't, because subject-auxiliary inversion (had I instead of I had) is not allowed here. It needs something specific in the context -- a fronted adverb, for instance -- in order to happen, and there's none here.
– John Lawler
2 days ago
1
John, thank you!
– Josh
2 days ago